Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-12-02
A WAR EXPERIENCE.
A story ofthe Late War.
"How old did you say?" asked the
Commander in-chief.

was by twenty-five years q thing OF the
past, but as head of great commercial
enterprise military title still chung to
him from out Of his war experience,
and he did not dislike it, for some OF
his war memories appeared to be his.
most cherished mental treasures. So
he debated with his cigar over the two
young people whose sentimental rash.
ness had brought them into public
notice. and as he debated he was look
ing backward over the diverse piano.
rama Of two decades of life, through
the rifted smoke clouds of great re-
bellion at little drama that seemed
almost dream, but which to him was,
perhaps, the best-remembered Incl
dent of all the five years fight. And
when he told it, half musingly, the
listeners did not wonder. The ways of
Fate are very diverse, and it some
times happens to the least imaginative
in the maddening crowd that face
which is looked into only for moment
lis never forgotten in all the lengths of
the years that follow. Perhaps it was
so with the Commandments Per-
haps not. In any event, nobody dared
to ask.
"1n the fall of 1868, he began, 81
was stationed with q detachment at
Paint Rock, Ala. We were drawing on
the enemy for upplies-foraging in
fact Our crackers and bareback we
got from Stevenson, but for fodder for
our horses and anything to add sumptu-
BUSINESS to the appearance of the frying
pan we had to depend on the country.
For some weeks [ had sent out the
wagon train to the east, the south
east, and down the valley of the Paint
Rock Greek. The only direction left
for Investigation was at the west,
where, at Il distance of twenty one
miles, was Huntsville, then the capital
of Northern Alabama, which, up to the
time of the war, had been q wealthy,
aristocratic and fashionable city. Well,
one pleasant morning sent the wagons
across the creek and followed them
with q guard Of twenty men. 1t was
reported from time to time that the
country ahead Of us was full of rebel
guerrillas, but we saw no signs of them,
and for two months had no trouble
whatever with any foe.
"Aiter crossing the creek the wagons
took road which wound along the
foot of spur at the Blue Ridge Mount
aims, which rose green, heavily wooded,
and picturesque at our backs We
passed several small clearings and
plantations, whose log houses were
filled with hot-blooded and hot-temp-
cred Southern women, whose evident
desire to fay us with their finger-nails
rather interfered with that sweet spirit
of hospitality for which the South is
famous. At distance of seven miles
I halted tine detachment at cool but
sinister-looking place in the road,
known to oil the country round as
The Cap
''The Gap was the entrance to q
pass through one of the outlying mount
ain spurs. 1t was deep hollow,
heavily wooded. The dense growth of
towering pines and frs grew close to
the roadside The woody spaces were
80 filled with underground and blocked
lby fallen trees that as you peered into
the dark recesses of the forest on
either side hostile army might have
been sheltered there without you being
able to perceive q button. remember
the looks of the place, because the first
time saw it it made me rather I'M
easy, and the last time but one that I
saw it came near staying there for
good, as did, in fact, some other poor
fellows who were not so fortunate.
'Well, after q rest, we kept on, and
q few miles further we came on plan
rtation of $50 acres, with y large and
comfortable looking residence near the
roadside. The wagons had reached
there long before us. They were being
rapidly filled from y row of we'll stored
corn-cribs at the back of the house.
had just gotten off my horse near the
door when two girls came toward me,
and if I were not telling this story,
gentlemen, would honestly declare
that they were the two prettiest girls l
ever saw in my life.
"They were both tall and slender,
with graceful and womanly figures.
They were dressed in dark-blue calico,
and had no artificial aids to their fresh
young beauty. Their faces were intel
'ligent and full of resolution, yet
marked by that shyness which belongs
to girls who are we'll born and bred in
comparative seclusion. The elder,
Ellen, was dark-eyed and dark-haired
'Addie was II, two years younger
than her sister, and o yellowhaired
and blue-eyed blonde. The apparition
they presented astonished us. think
AL the men took off their hats instinct
lively. 1 know did And as my hat
was real Mexican sombrero, aud
matched the long Mexican spurs that
'jingled on my heels, was rather fond
of keeping it on my head,
ut was Ellen who spoke, the other
staying little behind. Sir she said,
i'm troubled voice, you look like a
gentleman. One Of your men has
taken our guitar. II is all that we have
left, and it is great consolation. Will
tyon not be good enough to have it re.
Iturned?
"The guitar was returned to her
forthwith as quickly as the man could
he found who had it. She was profuse
in her thanks, and the light in the
younger sisters eyes at tho salvation OF
the Instrument indicated how highly it